In the framework of the iPLAN European project the aim of this thesis is to enhance the computational efficiency and to adjust the complexity-accuracy trade-off of the MR-FDPF (Multi-Resolution Frequency Domain Partial Flows) method for indoor radio coverage prediction. This method, particularly efficient for indoor propagation, is devoted to be implemented in a radionetwork planning tool. This tool needs to propose all kind of modern radio link conditions: indoor, outdoor, indoor to outdoor, outdoor to indoor, for 3G/4G, WLAN or WMAN (WiMax), from macrocells to femtocells.

Thus, the study will contain four main parts:

-computational efficiency enhancement of the MR-FDPF method;-implementation of statistical analysis of radio channel behaviourrather than only considering mean power level;-integration of our indoor propagation tool into a wide areassimulation tool with other propagation methods such as ray-tracing incollaboration with other partners;-measurement campaigns and model calibration.

The PhD candidate will work the first year in the CITI Lab of INSA Lyon in order to propose all possible enhancements on the MR-FDPF method and will be associated to the SWING INRIA project team (at INSA Lyon, France). Then he will spend two years seconded in Ranplan Wireless Network Design Ltd, partnet of the iPLAN project (located in Luton, UK). Ranplan's R&D department is expected to launch an automatic planning tool, and the results of this work will contribute to this innovating tool.

Multimedia Information Retrieval Lab at Delft University of Technology,the Netherlands, offers a PhD position funded by the European Union inthe project "PuppyIR - Information Retrieval for Children".

Project Summary

PuppyIR (a new project funded by the EU 7th Framework) will provide anopen suite of components that can be used by system designers to tailorIR systems for the specific needs of children. Current InformationRetrieval (IR) systems are designed for adults: they return informationthat is unsuitable for children, present information in lists thatchildren find difficult to manage and make it difficult for children toask for information. PuppyIR will develop new interaction paradigms thatallow children to express their information needs simply and haveresults presented in an intuitive way. It will develop InformationServices that can summarise content for children, moderate informationfor children, help children safely build social networks andintelligently aggregate for presentation to children.

More information about the project and its participants can be found at:http://nirict.3tu.nl/nirict-projects/puppy-ir.doc/More information about Multimedia Information Retrieval Lab:http://ict.ewi.tudelft.nl/index.php?option=com_sections&id=45&Itemid=109

Role in Project

The PhD student in Delft studies the retrieval models and theirimplementation to support the interfaces and interaction stylesspecialized for children's behaviour when accessing information online(developed by other project participants). The student contributessolutions in the areas of multimodal presentation technology, text andmultimedia content mining, and natural language processing of children'stexts. Specifically, the Delft contribution concentrates on a queryassistance module based on entity retrieval and expert findingapproaches, social network analysis, and, moderated discovery ofinformation guided by opinion detection. Research prototypes are made toextend and exploit the PuppyIR open source framework. The PhD studentalso participates in the tasks to identify what evaluation measures makesense for evaluation of search tools for children, and contributes tothe development of test collections for the system-oriented evaluationof search algorithms for children.

Requirements for the PhD student

* Degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, ComputationalLinguistics or Cognitive Science* Strong technical background in Machine Learning and/or InformationRetrieval* Excellent programming skills* Good command of the English language* Sincere interest in learning about how to adapt search technologies tothe cognitive abilities of children

Appointment and Salary

The full-time appointment is temporary for four years. The startingsalary is ˆ 2042 gross per month increasing to a maximum of ˆ 2612 grossper month in the fourth year. Moreover, an 8% bonus share (holidaysupplement) and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% is provided annually, aswell as excellent secondary benefits. The preferable starting date is1st September 2009.

How to apply

Applications should be sent by e-mail and include the followingdocuments (in English):* Curriculum Vitae (incl. publication list and a statement of researchqualifications)* copy of university degree* copy of transcript listing all university marks* a cover letter explaining the motivation for doing research in IR,with details of research interests/experience, background, programmingskills and the knowledge of data mining/retrieval technologies* two letters of reference

Applications should be sent to Pavel Serdyukov (p.serdyukov AT tudelftDOT nl) and Prof.dr.ir. Arjen P. de Vries (arjen.de.vries AT cwi DOTnl). In the ideal case, those candidates that will be around Boston, US,from 18 to 25 July (during the SIGIR conference), might be interviewedimmediately. Please, specify if that is possible in your application.

* prepare a PhD in computer science, * Participate in the seminar activities of the Faculty with a volume of one to three hours a week, * Contribute to the students tutoring activities of the Faculty, * Help maintain the web site of the research team.

Profile:

* a master degree in applied discrete mathematics or computer sciences, * background in operational research, decision analysis or graph theory required, * inquisitiveness, commitment and creativity, * good written and oral English skills are obligatory, working knowledge in German and/or French is an advantage.

Offer:

* a well-equipped computer science laboratory, * an exciting international environment, * contacts to international research groups, * a competitive remuneration.

The human development approach puts people at the centre of development. It recognizes economic drivers for change but goes beyond them to raise issues of enlarging human capabilities and expanding people’s choices. The objective of the Academic Fellowship is to encourage young Ph.D. students from the Asia Pacifific region to analyse critical development issues from a human development perspective, contributing to development theory, applications and policies. Thus, the Fellows are expected to push the frontiers of research on human development while analyzing, through the human development lens, issues directly or indirectly related to human development. The research must focus on a well-defifined aspect of human development under the theme selected

Please see our brochure on “Human Development Fellows” for information on 2005-2008 recipients of Fellowships:

http://www2. undprcc.lk/ about_us/ fellowship. php

Theme – Climate Change and Human Development

Human development is about expanding human potential and enlarging human freedom. Climate change is a human development challenge, as it threatens to erode human freedoms and limit choice and plunge large numbers into poverty and hardship.

Climate change is hampering efforts to deliver the MDG promise as it undermines international efforts to combat poverty and exacerbates already existing inequalities. Those, in turn, can result in an increase in conflict over sharing natural resources. Climate change is in fact an increasingly powerful driver of wider inequalities between and within countries, also between women and men.

Climate change can result in increased frequency of extreme weather events, flooding, storms, drought, increases in sea temperatures, and melting of glaciers, etc., which effect negatively agriculture and health/nutrition. This has negative implications on the livelihood of poor and vulnerable communities who depend largely on agriculture and natural resource management. In particular, women are affected in their roles of food producers and providers, guardians of health, and care givers. Reduced employment opportunities, for example for women working in agricultural fifields, constitute a net loss in income which leads to a loss in savings, making it even harder for households to cope with disasters.

The magnitude of this long term challenge can be assessed considering that an additional 1.8 billion people are expected to face water stress by 2080, with large areas of Central Asia, northern parts of South Asia and northern China facing a grave ecological crisis as a result of glacial retreat and changed rainfall patterns. Up to 330 million people in coastal and low-lying areas are expected to be displaced through flflooding and tropical storm activity. In the Asia Pacific region, in particular, over 70 million people in Bangladesh and 22 million people in Viet Nam could be affected by global warming-related flflooding.

What are the mechanisms through which the ecological impacts of climate change affect the poor? Are there examples of good practices to ensure climate and human security?

Have climate change and other environmental concerns been integrated in development planning in the context of environment protection and sustainable development? What has been the effectiveness of policies introduced? What is a possible agenda to promote human development and climate security? These are some of the questions that could be addressed.

The Fellowship

The UNDP Human Development Academic Fellowship for Asia Pacific carries an award of US$ 10,000. The students will be required to submit to UNDP a copy of their fifinal approved dissertation. In addition, Fellows may be expected to present their work in workshops/seminars and other events arranged by UNDP (travelrelated costs will be covered separately).

The thesis will acknowledge UNDP’s support by saying: “The author acknowledges the financial support received from the UNDP Asia Pacific Human Development Academic Fellowship for the research.”

Application Process

All candidates must complete a formal application in English or with an English translation, including:

· Summary statement of the objectives of the proposal

· Project proposal not exceeding 2,500 words

· Curriculum vitae

Incomplete applications or those received after the due date will not be processed.

Eligibility

· Be a citizen of a developing country in the Asia Pacific region (list of countries in Annex II)

· Have Have a Masters degree in a relevant discipline such as a social science, liberal arts, or management and be currently enrolled as a full time Ph.D. student

· Have identified a human development- related topic (further reading on Human Development topics is encouraged prior to submission of application.

· Submit a proposal approved by her/his direct supervisor at the University in which Ph.D. is being pursued

· Be younger than age 30. In exceptional cases the age requirement may be relaxed to 35 years to accommodate candidates who have returned to fulltime study after a period of work and/or family responsibilities

· Not be a UN Staff member

Selection Criteria

· Exceptional degree of creativity in choice of idea or topic

· Stage of development of the proposal

· Value-addition or new direction to the human development concept, methodology, analysis, application or policy relevance

· Track record of past accomplishments

· Time needed for completing the work undertaken

Selection Criteria

Selection will be based on an assessment of written proposals up to 2,500 words. A review of eligibility and assessment of the proposals submitted will be the basis for short listing. Short listed candidates will be required to participate in an interview. An independent selection committee will review the proposals and interact with the short listed candidates for the fifinal selection.

Deadline for 2009

Applications should be submitted by 1st September 2009.

Contact Information

Applications or any queries should be sent, preferably by email, to hdfellowships. rcc@undp. org

The International Graduate Program for non-Japanese students was launched in 1999, offering advanced professional training leading to the degrees of Master of Engineering and Doctor of Engineering. Students will have the unique opportunity of taking a degree from the University of Tokyo with lectures and research conducted completely in English. Applicants who have exceptional academic records will be awarded Monbu-Kagakusho scholarship for the whole period of graduate program.

The program is formed by the following 6 departments out of 19 departments in the School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo.

* Special Application for Students from Tsinghua University and Seoul National University: * http://www.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/etpage/international_applicants/special_application_for_students.htmlChina scholarship Council: http://www.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/etpage/international_applicants/china_scholarship_council.html

The Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at ImperialCollege London invites applications for the Hans Rausing PhD studentship,starting in the 2009/10 academic year.

The history of science and technology has been taught and researched atImperial College London since 1963, and CHoSTM in its current form wasestablished in 1992. In the recent Research Assessment Exercise, CHoSTMwas awarded the highest rating of all 83 UK history departments. 40% of itsresearch was classed as world-leading in terms of originality, significance andrigor, with another 40% judged internationally excellent.

The Hans Rausing award is open to home, EU and overseas students who holdor are about to complete an MSc in the history of science, technology andmedicine or related field. Applicants should posses an outstanding academictrack record and strong research potential.

The proposed topic should relate to the history of science and / ortechnology. Proposals in the history of medicine are not eligible forconsideration.

The award covers fees (at home or overseas rates) and a stipend equivalentto that offered by the AHRC. Continuation of the award is subject to theholder making satisfactory progress each year on the doctoral programme

For more information about CHoSTM and staff research interests, visit ourwebsite at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/historyofscience

Initial enquiries should be directed to Dr Abigail Woods,a.woods@imperial.ac.uk

Topology of Technology- announcing 10 doctoral fellowships -The interdisciplinary post-graduate program "Topology of Technology" at theDarmstadt University of Technology, Germany, announces 10 doctoralfellowships, starting Nov. 1, 2009, and running for 2 years (with anpossible option of a third year).The program is organized by teachers from the subjects of history,sociology, philosophy, literature and language, mechanical engineering,informatics, and civil/construction engineering. It focuses on therelationship between technology and space---at present, in history, and in a possible future. It has five thematic foci:- Information Technology and the Topology of the Network Society- Technological Spaces of the Body and the Perception of Space- The Circulation of Materials -- Mobility -- Tourism- Topologies of Technology and Forms of Representation- Fields of Power and the Role of TechnologyThe program is primarily financed by the German Research Council (DFG); seewww.dfg.de.Monthly stipends range between 1,000 and 1,365 euros.All applicants need to have a Master degree or the equivalent thereof. Since course work and seminars are carried out in both German and English, it is expected that applicants are willing to learn to read and understand spoken German. Fellows are expected to work together in our beautifully situated villa downtown Darmstadt and thus need to take up their residence in the city or the vicinity.Applications are only accepted in electronic form. They should include (1) a CV, (2) copies of academic diplomas, (3) a short description (max. 5 pages) of the planned doctoral dissertation, and (4) the names and addresses of two university professors who are willing to act as reference persons. Please send your application no later than9 August 2009to topologie@ifs.tu-darmstadt.de. Please make sure that it includes apersonally formulated explanation why you are particularly interested in the topic of the program and to which thematic focus your research will, in the first instance, contribute. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact one of the directors: Petra Gehring (gehring@phil.tu-darmstadt.de)or Mikael Hård (hard@ifs.tu-darmstadt.de).More information about the research and teaching program of thepost-graduate college / graduate school may be found underhttp://www.ifs.tu-darmstadt.de/index.php?id=1921&L=2

MSc MMD scholarshipsIn the 2006 - 2008 period, 9 talented students from outside the EER received financial support from our MMD Study Fund. For the 2009 curriculum year, 6 talented non-EER students have been selected that receive full scholarships covering all study and living costs. These students come from Turkey, India, Ethiopia, and Zambia.

For the 2010 curriculum year, we will also select 6 non-EER students that will receive a full scholarship. Candidates for the MMD scholarship however must apply before 1 December 2009 and thereby can also apply for HFP or NFP fellowships (deadlines 1 February and 1 March 2010 respectively).

PhD positions in the NCMLS graduate schoolApproximately 160 PhD students are part of the Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences graduate school. Each year, more than 40 PhD positions become available. MSc MMD graduates are prime candidates for these PhD positions, which have been written by one of the 40 Principal Investigators of the NCMLS.

Personal PhD grantsA successful research career starts when a masters student writes his/her own research project. The Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre has provided 3 PhD grants for the best projects written by Molecular Mechanisms of Disease (MMD) or Biomedical Science (BMS) students that started their masters in 2007. The selected students will start their projects in September of 2009. Likewise, 3 PhD projects have been reserved for MMD and BMS students who have started their masters in 2008.

For the students starting their MMD or BMS masters in 2009 and thereafter, 6 PhD projects will be available on yearly basis.

Students who want to apply for (almost) full scholarships such as HSP, NFP and MMD Study Fund should send in their application before 1 December 2009 (to start in September 2010).

For Dutch studentsThis master's programme has been accredited by the Dutch Ministry of Education. This means that Dutch students enrolled in this programme may apply for a government scholarship. For international practical research training, students can apply for a grant from the 'HSP Talentenprogramma': www.nuffic.nl/hspFor all international studentsHuygens Scholarship Programme (HSP): www.nuffic.nl/hsp(see: international students).

Radboud Scholarship ProgrammeTo non-EEA (European Economic Area) students, the Radboud University provides several scholarships to compensate the higher tuition fee. Students who are accepted before 15 April are eligible to these scholarships. Please read more details on the RU website.

Further information: http://www.itto.int/en/feature20_01/Deadline: 14 August 2009 for fellowship activities that will start after 1 January 2010.

Program objective

To develop human resources and enhance professional expertise in member countries in tropical forestry, tropical timber industries and related disciplines, with a view to promoting sustainable management of tropical forests, efficient utilization and processing of tropical timber, and better economic information on the international trade in tropical timber.Eligible activities

The maximum amount for a fellowship is US$10,000. ITTO Fellowships provides tuition/training/conference fees, transportation fees, daily subsistence allowance, book allowance and other allowances. For post-gradate studies, only a partial tuition fee or a small research grant can be provided. Approved Fellowships are non-transferable to other programmes or institutions.Eligibility

1. Only nationals of ITTO Member countries are eligible to apply.2. Awards are to be made to individuals not to institutions.3. Previous ITTO Fellowship awardees are not eligible to apply for another ITTO Fellowship within two years of receiving the first award and submitting to the Secretariat a final report on the activity for which the award was made.

Appraisal

Applications are appraised by a Fellowship Selection Panel, which meets during the sessions of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC) twice a year(*1). The Panel comprises six individuals, three from producer member countries and three from consumer member countries, and is chaired by the Vice Chair of the ITTC.Priority areas

Based on the goals and cross-cutting strategies identified in the ITTO Yokohama Action Plan 2002-2006, eligible activities will aim at developing human resources and professional expertise in one or more of the following areas (in no priority order):

1. Improving transparency of the international tropical timber market;2. Promoting tropical timber from sustainably managed sources;3. Supporting activities to secure the tropical timber resources;4. Promoting sustainable management of tropical forest resources;5. Promoting increased and further processing of tropical timber from sustainable sources;6. Improving industry's efficiency of processing and utilization of tropical timber from sustainable sources;7. In any of the above areas (a-f), the following are relevant:(i) Enhancing public relations, awareness and education;(ii) Sharing information, knowledge and technology; and(iii) Research and development.

Selection criteria

Fellowship applications will be assessed against the following selection criteria (in no priority order):

1. Consistency of the proposed activity with the Programme's objective and priority areas;2. Qualifications of the applicant to undertake the proposed Fellowship activity;3. The potential of the skills and knowledge acquired or advanced under the Fellowship activity to lead to wider applications and benefits nationally and internationally;4. Reasonableness of costs in relation to the proposed Fellowship activity.

Additional consideration will be given to:

1. Geographic and gender balance;2. Balance among the ITTO priority areas;3. Competency in the language in which the training will be given, where applicable (eg courses, conferences, study tours).

The ITTO Fellowships are awarded mainly to nationals of developing countries. However, ITTO may award Fellowships to nationals of consumer developed countries when: (a) the activities for which the awards are made are carried out in Producer Member countries and the activities tend to benefit Producer Member countries; and/or (b) there is evidence of technology transfer for activities to be carried out in developed countries.Deadlines

Deadline for receipt of the completed applications are:

14 August 2009 for fellowship activities that will start after 1 January 2010.

Applicants are advised that fellowship activities should begin no sooner than 1 January 2010*1: ITTO will hold only one Council Session in November this year. Therefore, the fellowship application received for the 14 August deadline will be considered through an on-line selection procedure by the Fellowship Selection Panel.Application

Application forms and further instructions are available in English, French, and Spanish.